Red stained wheat

[Man-o-woods]

Went down to my permission (hampshire)yesterday in the hope of getting a few pigeon as the farmer drilled the fields this week.

first look out over the fields there were a few crows and seagulls feeding.

Thought could be a good sign. Me and my shooting buddy set up in the same field with the hope of some sport.

only had the one field as the others were being drilled that day.

Again thinking that would keep the birds off of the other fields.

 

sat ther from 08:30 to 12;30 I had 3 very ambitious shots with no return.

My mate had 4 shots for 1 crow.

apart from that it was as if there was a no fly zone in the area. kept lookingout with bins but not a thing.

after packing up we notice that the farmer had drilled wheat whereas he normally grows rape. But the wheat had been died RED. whats that all about?

Edited October 9, 2011 by Man-o-woods

[Gav912]

The red colour on the wheat is a seed dressing chemical thats used to protect the seed from pests and diseases in the soil

[Man-o-woods]

will it keep the pigeons off also?

[Gav912]

Never has done in my experience, had the field turn blue with the damn things when we've been drilling before, they don't actually seem to mind eating the seed with that on, neither do crows and rooks

[Man-o-woods]

Ok next weekend hear we come.

 

Game on

[Cranfield]

I agree that the red dressing on the wheat doesn't seem to bother the pigeons at all, it just makes it easier for them to find.

[TaxiDriver]

Are wheat fields drilled in different ways ?

eg drilled deeper or rolled/not rolled after ?

 

I ask as on my permission, they say they don't get any problems with birds on the freshly drilled fields, which I have to say is frustrating.

[Gav912]

There's many variables with any sort of grain drilling, you would usually find more grain laying about on the heavier, more clay land where its harder to get a seedbed to drill into. It also depends on the type of drill thats used as to the method it uses to place the seed in the ground, some drills are more suited to lighter easier working land but may occassionally get used on clay or wet soils and thats usually when you end up with seed laying on the surface

[Fisherman Mike]

interesting link.

 

http://www.hgca.com/publications/documents/cropresearch/6049_HGCA-SeedHealthGuide.pdf.

 

Modern tilling and seeding machinery leaves very little surface grain these days so your more likely to have success on new sown feilds with digging birds like rooks, crows and daws...Pigeons wont get their beaks dirty for fear of blocking the nostrils which is their built in GPS..

Edited October 10, 2011 by Fisherman Mike

[anser2]

quote "Ok next weekend hear we come" .

 

Do not wait until next weekend , get on the field as soon as possible. surface wheat seeds on a fresh drilled field are usualy gone in a couple of days . The pigeons do not hang about and there are all sorts of other birds and animals that will be eating the grain.

 

My maxum for a drilled field being hit by pigeons is shoot it now , tomorrow maybe too late.

Edited October 11, 2011 by anser2

[motty]

Went down to my permission (hampshire)yesterday in the hope of getting a few pigeon as the farmer drilled the fields this week.

first look out over the fields there were a few crows and seagulls feeding.

Thought could be a good sign. Me and my shooting buddy set up in the same field with the hope of some sport.

only had the one field as the others were being drilled that day.

Again thinking that would keep the birds off of the other fields.

 

sat ther from 08:30 to 12;30 I had 3 very ambitious shots with no return.

My mate had 4 shots for 1 crow.

apart from that it was as if there was a no fly zone in the area. kept lookingout with bins but not a thing.

after packing up we notice that the farmer had drilled wheat whereas he normally grows rape. But the wheat had been died RED. whats that all about?

You didn't mention that there were any pigeons seen on the field. That's probably why you didn't shoot any. It's very rare that i'd set up on a field without first checking that birds were feeding on it.